Heavy Duty Mechanic career advice

[alieno1]

Hi everyone,

I'm really interested in pursuing a trade in Heavy duty mechanics but I'm not sure what is the best way to approach it. NAIT is still accepting applications for its 2 year program and I'm seriously considering the jump to sign up for next fall. Although I hear that school can be a waste of money and it's best to learn and get paid on the job, I don't have much of a background in mechanics other than replacing my alternator and starter, changing oil, replacing belts and light bulbs, etc and I'm thinking maybe it's best to get a a good start by learning the basics at first then jumping into the field.

So if anyone can give their opinion I would really appreciate it, thanks.

Jeremy

[blueToy]

Heavy duty mechanic is a awesome job , for the right person . Do you love grease ? Dirt ? Mud ? Swinging 20lbs ' hammers ' ? Have a thing for waking up before the birds , or putting in TONS of hours , or working till you get the job done ? I know and have known many a wrench puller and I don't envy them one bit . Usually they make a fortune , but they really don't have the time to spend their money . Most of the guys I know have really happy wives .
Oh , and working on a hot engine on a day like today would be just brutal . Or having to change a hydraulic hose with VERY hot oil . OR .... ( lol , I could go on and on ) say changing the cutting edges of a machine in 30 below weather every 12 hours !!

I don't mean to turn you off of it , some guys work in shops and a few places are great to work in , but , for the most part , it takes a special type of guy to get into it . If all you've ever done was change a starter , alt. , or belts , it's pretty safe to say it might not be your cup of tea . Go talk to a counceller at SAIT or NAIT . I'm sure they can help you decide .
Good luck

[DRKM]

Hi

I am have had experiance in both automotive and heavy duty mehanic. But I was dealing with on road heavy duty. (Semeis and dump trucks, ect

Heavy duty is a TON different than automotive, in heavy duty it seems like a torch and sledge hammer are often your best friends when doing anything to do with suspention or really just anything with a bushing. Something to remember is that everything is seized.

As for the electrical and tune up stuff it seems like Heavy duty is Way easier.

But it does take alot more patience in heavy duty, at least for me...

The only experiance with off road heavy duty I have had was when I was doing logging in Onterio. But man does it ever suck, I was up north. It was minus thirty in the middle of April.

Then it was insanly hot in june. So when things broke down (which happens every day at least once no matter how old or new the machine is) you are either being eaten alive by bugs or freezing to death.

Onroad is MUCH MUCH better....

[alieno1]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Well, currently I'm in construction work setting tile floors in houses and it's always the same thing in and out throughout the day. Lifting heavy boxes, carrying heavy tools in and out, bending over, kneeling, preassure on your knees...it's all a strain on the body as well, it's heavy work just like drywall or brick laying. I'm a small guy, but I can still handle it so I'm thinking I wouldn't mind the heavy lifting in Heavy duty mechanics but what appeals to me is the challenge and nature of the work....taking apart engines and solving problems and putting them back together again, making it run again, using various tools and the latest skills and knowledge. I also like the flexibility of being able to specialize in one area or being able to take your skills to any part of the country. And they get paid pretty good for what they do. Anyways, has to be alot better than being on your knees all day, bending over tiles and wondering when the construction boom will slow down and you have to go begging for work. I'm sure Heavy duty mechanics has got to be alot more stable with employment considering companies need big trucks to deliver goods and mass transportation is an essential component of our economy and I'm sure diesel technology will become more and more popular in the future since its more fuel effecient and cheaper to use.

This is what I think...but I would still like to hear more opinions from other people.

[Mazstyle]

I'm an HET apprentice, and I just went into it because I'm very mechanically inclined and it pays good.

As far as your mechanical experience, you are farther ahead then some younger guys I've worked with who are scared to change there own oil. Never trust a mechanic who drives a new car.

And for school versus working - I strongly advise against going to school before working reasons being:

1. Cost, why pay $5000 for a year of school when entry level jobs in the field are paying upwards of $20 which = $40k a year.

2. Cost again, most employers will pay for your schooling, some places even give you a wage while your in school, talk about a sweet deal.

3. After you do school, and enter the field you might realize you detest the work, and all that school will go towards nothing, whereas you could have found this out while pulling a wage. I friend of mine who did school before hand just quit the trade after working in it for a year to become a tatoo apprentice/artist... go figure

[alieno1]

Thanks for the reply Mazstyle.

I really like the electrical aspect of mechanics and would really be interested in pursuing this path but I'm not sure how it works in the Heavy duty field. Is it like auto mechanics where you can specialize in one area? I'm aware that the diesel technology is changing very rapidly and becoming more advanced, so I imagine there will be a demand for more technicians who specialize in their field.

Anyways, I'm sure I could save alot of money by starting out as an apprentice but I'm really interested in learning the latest technology in a classroom setting and I don't plan on staying in Alberta to work here but would rather get my education here and move somewhere else. So I don't want to start out with a company right away.

From the experience I had with my old vehicles, I actually enjoyed trying to figure out what was wrong and fixing the problem. I really like the electrical part. I actually re-wired my car a few times. One time the alternator wasn't charging the battery because of a faulty wire, so I added new wire to recharge it and another time my radiator needed to be flushed and I didn't know it was causing my car to over-heat and so I just re-routed the wire from the radiator fan to a switch in my car which controlled when it came on and off because I didn't want it turning off in traffic and over-heating so I just kept the fan running the whole time I was driving and it helped alot. I really enjoyed looking in a technical manual and trying to figure out why my car wasn't starting, so instead of taking it to a repair shop and paying big bucks I figured out it was the starter, so I replaced it and I had a rush when I turned that key and heard my engine turn on. Let's see, I helped my dad replace a master cylinder on one of my cars and thought that was pretty cool. I replaced a fuel filter on my own.

I have never added cool features to my cars but I like reading about them in magazines. I'm also really good at assembling things together...like bbq's, furniture, surround sound speakers, computer hook ups, etc. So I don't know if this makes me mechanic material, but I would love to think so since I get a big kick out of making things come together and work.

Anyways, I would love to hear more feedback..thanks!

[alieno1]

Oh yea, I forgot to mention that I re-routed the wire from my radiator fan to the switch becuase the thermostat was faulty. Not like anyone cares, but just to clarify.

[Audio_Rookie]

should probably replace the thermostat then eh?

don't matter how cold you make that water by turning the fan on...if the thermostat is stuck closed....it aint gonna open lol.

Or did you mean temperature sensor? cause thats usually what turns on the fan...the thermostat just lets coolant flow into the engine.

:D

trades ftw.....I kinda don't wanna weld anymore...getting repetitive...But I will finish my ticket then go to something else.

[alieno1]

Your right, it's the temperature sensor, woops. Well, after that I got the radiator flushed and my problem went away. And this was in the middle of Los Angeles where I was stuck for one week because I didn't want to pay to get my car looked at and figured I could fix it myself.